29 August 2010

Natural Selection


No. 2942 - 25 Aug 2010 -16:37:13 * No. 2956 - 25 Aug 2010 - 16:37:53

Gastown, Vancouver

Out of five Glaucous-winged Gull nests, I have watched and recorded since mating season began this spring, only two have thrived. The downtown nests are on the Brandeis Hotel, Pantages Theatre, Carnegie Centre, and the Royal Bank at Main and Hastings, high above the hoi polloi of Homo sapiens . One nest failed to hatch, two nests with one chick each failed to manage successful flight and were lost, leaving the two nests of pairs with one successful flyer left in each; two birds out of seven, so far (the Carnegie nest hatched two chicks but days later, when they were taken out for the long walk, only one came back). I have practiced watching without sentiment while observing and documenting the inexplicable course of nature. Life is hard but genetic survival appears to be a biological and logical imperative, of the highest order, for all living things.

This little creature was photographed at Lost Lagoon and appears to be on track to maturity.

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